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1608a - Priority Staffing

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Contents

Introduction

  1. Priority staffing privileges exist for employees that have been identified for lay-off.

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Application

  1. These guidelines and procedures apply to all Government indeterminate teachers in the NWT Teachers' Association (NWTTA) that have officially been notified by their Deputy Head that their positions have been eliminated.

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Guidelines

  1. During the 45 calendar day notice period, Deputy Heads are responsible for ensuring that affected employees are considered for all vacant positions within their Board first and other Boards second before requesting a position be opened to competition. Following the expiration of the notice period, the onus to identify career opportunities reverts to the displaced worker.
  2. Term employees who are identified for lay-off may compete for positions under the standard competition process.
  3. An employee is eligible for priority staffing effective the date of lay-off as indicated in their lay-off letter from the Deputy Head.
  4. A comparable vacancy which occurs in the following year, will be offered to any teacher who has been laid off and is still unemployed. The teacher must be qualified for the position. It is the responsibility of the laid off teacher to become aware of a vacant position and to submit an application for it.
  5. Standard selection interview procedures and affirmative action staffing guidelines apply to competitions involving employees on the priority staffing list.

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Procedures

  1. The Department of Education, Culture & Employment maintains a priority staffing list of all employees who are given lay-off notices and the positions attained. Education, Culture & Employment updates and distributes this list to all Deputy Heads in the most expeditious manner and sends copies to both Labour Relations and Compensation and the NWTTA.
  2. Deputy Heads request a skills and interest inventory from affected employees. The skills inventory should include the type of position being sought, location, re-location preferences, teaching specialization and any teaching preferences. The Deputy Head provides the inventories to other Boards, again in the most expeditious manner, in an attempt to locate alternate employment during the 45 calendar day notice period.
  3. When a competition is held, qualified applicants on the lay-off priority staffing list receive priority consideration and are interviewed before other candidates.
  4. If only one employee from the priority list is qualified, that employee is interviewed.
  5. If an employee is determined to be suitable, a job offer is made.
  6. An employee has 72 hours to accept a reasonable job offer. If declined, the employee waives their right to priority status and are considered to have resigned at the end of the notice period.
  7. Where it is not possible to offer a position to an employee on the priority staffing list due to unsuitability, other candidates are considered.

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